


The Chauffeur - Mrs Foster

by romanticmum



Series: The Chauffeur [3]
Category: Sanditon (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Developing Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:41:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28035597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanticmum/pseuds/romanticmum
Summary: Esther Denham has a heart-to-heart with her housekeeper, Mrs Foster, about her relationship with her chauffeur, John Babington.
Relationships: Lord Babington/Esther Denham
Series: The Chauffeur [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1864966
Comments: 8
Kudos: 6





	The Chauffeur - Mrs Foster

**Author's Note:**

> This short story is part of my The Chauffeur series and takes place after the first week of John working his month's notice with the chauffeur agency.

Esther smiled at John before she walked through her front door. Turning to watch him drive the Mercedes back to the garage, her chest ached knowing she would not see him again until tomorrow.

They just returned from a meeting this afternoon – she discussed with her head of HR some new staff positions she envisaged taking over the day-to-day operations in the company. The manager of the warehouse she visited last week was already earmarked for the head of operations role, but he needed support in logistics and manufacturing and the sales team required expansion, too.

Talking with John on the way home proved useful – she ran through the outcomes with him, something she liked to do after a meeting to review whether her objectives were met and what she needed to do next.

John proved himself a good listener and asked questions, sometimes picking up on points Esther had not considered. Esther realised he was a good sounding board and was willing to consider his opinions.

All too soon, they were at Esther’s door – even though John confessed he was taking longer routes to get her home and driving more slowly to lengthen their time together. Esther asked him to come in for a drink a few times this last week, but John regretfully refused.

“If I come in,” he said, in his deep voice with desire evident in his eyes as he gazed at her, “I would not leave. It’s best we wait until my notice is up.”

Esther reluctantly left him – she knew he was a man of integrity and with the strict rules at the agency, understood why John wished to wait until his employment with it was ended. But it was so difficult – she took her time getting out of the car and John carried her briefcase, walking her to the door so they could eke out the time together.

Once the car was out of sight, she shut the door and noticed the lovely smell from the kitchen. Following her nose, she poked her head round the door to see Mrs Foster standing by the stove stirring a spoon in a saucepan.

“Hello, Mrs Foster. That smells lovely!” she remarked.

“Oh, hello, Ms Denham. I’ve made you penne arrabbiata for dinner this evening,” Mrs Foster replied.

“Great, I’ll just go and get changed.”

Ms Denham returned after a couple of minutes and sat at the table with the cup of tea Mrs Foster made for her. Her housekeeper asked how her meeting went and Ms Denham divulged some of her plans for the company. She was hopeful that in a month or two, people would be in the posts and it would free up much of her time. The thought of what she was going to do with her free time – hopefully spending as much as possible with John – reminded her that he was not with her and she looked away, her brow crinkling into a frown.

Mrs Foster noticed the change in her face. “The outcome of the meeting sounds promising – but you seem out of spirits, Ms Denham.” 

Esther looked up to see Mrs Foster’s concerned face. The housekeeper worked for her aunt before coming to work for Esther after her aunt died. The older woman took an interest in Esther’s life, much more than her aunt ever did, and had a sympathetic ear when Esther experienced troubles.

Knowing that Mrs Foster needed to know what was going to happen with her and John, Esther decided to divulge their secret.

“Mrs Foster,” Esther took a deep breath and her stomach fluttered as she prepared to tell her the exciting news. “I want to tell you something, but it is in confidence – no-one else must know, for now at least.”

“Of course, in confidence, Ms Denham,” she nodded.

The housekeeper turned down the heat for the pan and sat down at the table opposite Esther.

After another deep breath, Esther started to speak.

“John, that is John Babington, my chauffeur, and I have started a relationship.” She looked at Mrs Foster with a coy smile.

“We need to keep a professional distance whilst he’s working his notice with the agency and that’s why we need to keep it a secret for now.”

Mrs Foster’s face broke into a joyful grin, “Oh, that is wonderful news, I’m so glad you two have sorted yourselves out.”

Esther’s brows rose in surprise, “You knew! How did you know?”

The housekeeper shook her head gently with a knowing smile. “Oh, I’ve known you two liked each other from when Mr Babington first started working for you.”

Flushing with embarrassment from being so transparent, Esther’s jaw dropped. 

“But how? I didn’t even know myself for a while,” Esther remarked with a rueful smile.

“I remember when he first arrived you took him out to show him the cars yourself and you were quiet and thoughtful over breakfast afterwards. Then a few weeks later you asked me about him - your face lit up when I said he was single.”

Esther blushed and fiddled with her mug. She really was that transparent.

“Then a few days later, I saw you sat together in the garden. I noticed the shy glances between you.”

“So, you think John liked me then?” Esther asked. For many weeks, Esther convinced herself John was just being professional and respectful with her.

Mrs Foster laughed a little, “Oh, I could tell Mr Babington liked you that first time he helped me unpack the groceries. He didn’t ask questions, but his face lit up the couple of times I mentioned your name.”

A warm feeling filled her chest as Esther thought how John may have liked her from early on in his employment. But he was aware of their professional relationship and kept his distance.

“When you told me about your day trip to Sanditon, I knew then that the feelings between you were mutual. You’ve never invited your chauffeur to lunch before – and to get Mr Wilson’s opinion of him, too!”

Mrs Foster chuckled – she had seen the spark in Esther’s eyes when she told her of that day trip, especially when she said they ate ice-creams at the beach.

The housekeeper mentioned the trip to Mr Babington a day later, and, although his response was guarded, his whole demeanour lit up at the thought of that day.

“Mr Babington enjoyed that day, too, I could tell when he spoke of it with me.”

Esther was intrigued to know how John felt after that day together. She recalled the nervousness and excited anticipation in her belly the morning of the trip, at the thought of spending so much time with him. Then the joy of walking with him on the promenade and eating their ice-creams. The story about the Ferrari still made her laugh when she recalled it.

“What did he say, Mrs Foster?” she asked.

“Mr Babington is a discreet young man, he noted how good it was to finally drive the Porsche, especially around those country roads. And that you mentioned wanting to see the sea and you were able to eat an ice-cream on the promenade. I could tell he enjoyed that day with you.”

Esther’s belly filled with warmth knowing that John seemed to have enjoyed that day as much as she did. Many a night since, she recalled the events of that trip and it always brought a delighted smile to her face.

Looking at Mrs Foster with a bashful smile, she allowed that joy to fill her again. “I had a really good day that day. I forgot about work and was able to just enjoy being with my friends and see the sea. And just driving with John was so calming.”

Closing her eyes, she recalled the sensations of speeding along in the Porsche, the beautiful countryside all around and the pleasure of being with John.

Mrs Foster reached out with her hand to gently touch Esther’s. “Then you asked him to take you stargazing. I knew then that you wanted to be with him more, socially. And he was so keen to take you – he came to see me about taking drinks and snacks after he’d been shopping. He mentioned buying a new jumper and jeans. I knew he wanted to make a good impression.”

She sent a knowing grin to Esther who flushed red. “I recall he did look quite handsome that evening,” said Esther shyly.

“Do you remember when you two went on the track day?” asked Mrs Foster.

Esther grinned, “How could I forget! The adrenalin rush of racing again was fantastic, even though I wasn’t driving. John was great though, I trusted him completely in the Porsche.”

The trust between them was never in question for Esther, she always felt safe with him in the car.

Mrs Foster’s pleasure in seeing the happiness in Esther’s face was unbridled. It was a long time since she had seen her look this happy, possibly back to her racing days when she had won a race.

“I believe trust is an important part of a relationship with someone. I don’t think people last together if there is no trust,” remarked the housekeeper.

Esther contemplated this comment. Her trust in John developed quickly after he started working for her and never wavered since. 

Mrs Foster furrowed her brow with her next comment. “I was surprised when you returned so upset from your trip up north. I could tell before you went that you had something planned - you were so restless before you set off that Monday. I hoped that you were going to come back with happy news.”

Esther’s face fell as she remembered that trip. Her and John talked a lot over dinner, the conversation flowing easily, especially when they got onto the subject of cars. She was so hopeful when she went to his room, that he liked her as much as she did him. But his rejection was such a blow, after they shared that wondrous kiss, too.

“I did plan to speak to John on that trip, we had dinner together. Afterwards, I confessed my feelings for him, and he confirmed that he returned them.” Esther dropped her eyes to the table, “But then he said we couldn’t be together. His job and my position as his boss wouldn’t allow it.”

Esther took a moment as the feelings of rejection that overwhelmed her that evening came flooding back.

“I couldn’t wait to get home, I was so upset.”

“Yes, I could tell,” confirmed Mrs Foster as she gently touched Esther’s hand again. “Mr Babington was just as upset. I passed him cleaning the car when I left that afternoon, and he had such a long face, he couldn’t muster a smile for me.”

The housekeeper caught Esther’s gaze and smiled, “But that following morning, I saw the hope in his eyes when he asked to see you. I kept my fingers crossed and hoped that you could both sort it out.”

She patted Esther’s hand as the younger woman’s expression perked up.

“And you did. Mr Babington had a solution to your predicament and here you are, ready to embark on the rest of your lives together.”

Esther laughed self-consciously, “I don’t know about the rest of our lives, but I am looking forward to spending more time with him. But he’s got to work another three weeks of his notice – it’s so tough not to be with him.”

Her face fell a little, “Especially as I know he’s only a hundred metres away from my house.”

Mrs Foster nodded her understanding. “I know how tough it can be. Not long after I met Mr Foster, after we dated a few times, he had to work away from home for a few months. I already knew I liked him, and it was tough as we could only speak on the phone every few days. And then when he did visit, for a weekend now and again, we could only meet in public places.”

Esther regarded Mrs Foster in a new light – she knew her housekeeper had been married for over thirty years and she met Mr Foster many times, but the lady rarely talked about her early life with him.

“We talked a lot in that time, learnt a lot about each other. We made plans for what we were going to do together when he came back for good. He proposed not longer after he returned, he said us talking helped him realise that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me.”

Mrs Foster blushed a little, “When we were finally able to be together, it was so much sweeter, so special, because we already built up the trust and knowledge between us.”

Esther contemplated this comment – currently she was focussed on the fact that she and John could not be together, but perhaps there was another way to look at it.

“Maybe that’s what we should do – focus on getting to know each other better when we’re driving in the car and we can make plans for when we are able to be together properly.”

Mrs Foster squeezed Esther’s hand. “Yes, that’s a good plan, my dear. Ease yourselves into this relationship, with your eyes open, it will work out.”

The women shared smiles with one another, the older one glad to have words of experience to impart, and the younger one cheered up with the promise of pleasant times to come.

“Are you ready for this dinner, Ms Denham? I’ll dish it up for you then go home for mine. Mr Foster promised me lamb chops!”

Esther grinned, “Yes, of course. The sauce smells delicious.” Esther caught Mrs Foster’s eye, “Thank you, Mrs Foster. Talking with you has helped me get things into perspective.”

The housekeeper nodded, “I’m always available to help, Ms Denham. Don’t you forget.”

She placed the pasta on the table and wished Esther a good evening.

Esther ate her food with an invigorated appetite, looking forward to seeing John tomorrow morning and thinking of all the topics they could discuss to ready themselves for their lives together.


End file.
